Gary Goes Nowhere

In a move that surprised no one, Gary Brackett will remain an Indianapolis Colt. Despite passing this morning’s 12:01 deadline, the unrestricted free agent agreed to a five-year deal. The contract will pay Brackett $33 million, including a signing bonus of $12 million. The deal makes Brackett one of the highest paid players at his position in the NFL.

The signing bucks a long-time trend by the Colts’ front office to let talented linebackers walk. In the past, players such as Cato June, Mike Peterson, and David Thornton have all been allowed to pursue free agency. However, while talented, those players never held the distinction of being defensive captain – a title that Brackett has held since the 2007 season.

Staying up-to-date with the latest, the Colts now have just one unrestricted free agent in K Matt Stover, who is expected to retire. Of their restricted free agents, safeties Melvin Bullitt and Antonie Bethea, along with LT Charlie Johnson, DT Antonio “Mookie” Johnson, and DT Daniel Muir have all been tendered. CB Marlin Jackson, PR T.J. Rushing, and the remaining restricted free agents were not given offers by the Colts and will become unrestricted free agents.

UPDATE: The Colts cut DT Raheem Brock and QB Jim Sorgi late Friday. Sorgi isn't as much of a suprise, but considering that Brock was only owed $3.8M for the final year of his deal, the news is a bit curious (especially in an uncapped year). Maybe Indy is freeing up as much money as they can for Peyton's lucrative extension?